‘Blues must harness Basel momentum’

Semiffinal: First legFC Basel 1 - 2 ChelseaFenerbahçe 1 - 0 BenficaLONDON – Chelsea interim manager Rafael Benitez has challenged his side to channel the will to win they showed in roaring back to snatch a 2-1 win at FC Basle in the first leg of their Europa League semifinal.Chelsea needed a 94th-minute free-kick from David Luiz to prevail at St Jakob-Park on Thursday, having seen Victor Moses’ 12th-minute opener cancelled out by a controversial Fabian Schar penalty three minutes from time.Benitez said he had been “surprised” by referee Pavel Kralovec’s decision to award a penalty for a challenge on Valentin Stocker by Cesar Azpilicueta, and said his side’s late response had been fuelled by a sense of injustice.He also called on his players to funnel that desire into the campaign to secure a place in next season’s Champions League, which continues with a game at home to Swansea City in the Premier League on Sunday.“We had this thing that we didn’t deserve to concede this goal, so it was extra motivation,” he said.“The keeper could have saved the free-kick but in the end we scored the goal and I think everyone was thinking it was fair.Although his side are well-placed to reach the final, Benitez says Chelsea must learn from the misfortunes that befell Tottenham Hotspur.Spurs were beaten on penalties by Basle after a 4-4 aggregate draw in the quarterfinals and Benitez says his side will need to show due care in their return leg at Stamford Bridge next week.“We have the experience of Tottenham, so we know this is a very good team and they can score goals home and away,” the Spaniard said.

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‘Blues must harness Basel momentum’